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How Emily Ratajkowski Always Looks Amazing, According to Her Stylist

You might not be able to pronounce Emily Ratajkowski’s name, but you probably know who she is. And if you don’t, you should. The actress and model became a household name when she pretty much stole the show in Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” video. We’ve been so enamoured with her style as of late (she’s been busy promoting her new film, We Are Your Friends) that we sought out her fabulous stylist, Tara Swennen, to get the scoop. She filled us in on how she and Ratajkowski have been putting together so many on-point looks and how you, dear reader, can apply her lessons to your own wardrobe building and outfit planning.

Scroll down to see Emily Ratajkowski’s best recent looks, read her stylist’s top tips, and shop Ratajkowski-inspired pieces.

Even when Emily shows a lot of skin, she avoids looking over-the-top seductive. What is it that keeps her outfits classy?

Tara Swennen: We definitely maintain the balance. I think that’s the key. If she’s showing a little bit of leg, then maybe we have her arms covered, or vice versa, to ensure that there isn’t too much skin showing. She has a very classic sense of style, so we tend to not go too overboard. Even though with this [press] tour, we’ve been experimenting a little bit more with beading, etc. Generally speaking, it’s still always very tasteful. We never do anything cheesy.

Did you have a certain strategy in mind with Emily when you started styling her?

TS: Not really—there were so many stops on this particular tour, the only thing we wanted to ensure was that nothing really looked the same, that it didn’t get repetitive. And since [We Are Your Friends] is a young, fun movie, we thought that should be reflected within the wardrobe, and so we played a little bit—we could do things that were a little more fun, since it wasn’t a serious movie.

We Are Your Friends press required a ton of looks. Do you have a favourite?

TS: That’s a good question! I really enjoyed all of her premiere looks. She still has a few to come, so I’m not going to spoil anything, but my favourite one is yet to come.

What style risks have you encouraged Emily to take? Were there any looks that she was initially hesitant about?

TS: She’s pretty open! She’s a wonderful client. It’s a fun collaboration. She did those high boots, and a lot of my clients won’t touch them with a 10-foot stick. It’s to my benefit that she’s a model, because she not only looks great in everything but also understands that being a little bit flashy is fun. I think that she'll continue to take risks and try more things.

Do you have any tips for dressing for your body when you’re more full-chested?

TS: The main thing is that you make sure you still maintain that hourglass silhouette. I think cinching your waist is very important, and again, it’s just about maintaining the balance, so if you do something very tight on the bottom, maybe you do something a bit looser on the top, and vice versa. It really is about creating a balance and creating that silhouette.

Emily’s off-duty looks are very cool and stylish, which leads us to believe that she’s a fashion girl. (That and the fact that she helped design her Topshop dress for the Met Gala this year!) Would you say that this has always been the case with her, or has she become more interested in it since she began working with you?

TS: She’s very into art, and obviously [fashion] is another shape of that. So I think it intrigues her a lot, and I think that the more she’s inundated in it, the more it interests her. I think that her love for it will continue to grow. I would never take credit for that, but hopefully I’ve helped influence her in certain ways.

We read an interview recently where Emily said that she likes the way men’s clothing looks on her body. Do you have any tips as to what types of men’s pieces women could feasibly incorporate into their wardrobes?

TS: Trousers are always great. My client Kristen Stewart loves doing that too. They just have to fit properly—you don’t want them too baggy. I always love great crisp men’s shirts. But again, it’s all about the fit. You have to make sure that’s right, and then you can always tailor items. Good suiting if you can find the right kind is always something fun to play with too.